Alameda Health System Appoints Dr. William T. Peru

OAKLAND, Calif., July 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alameda Health System (AHS), a nationally recognized public health care provider, announced it has appointed William T. Peruzzi, MD, SM, FCCM as Chief Medical Officer overseeing the delivery of high quality care to AHS patients. He begins his new position today.

Dr. Peruzzi, who has more than 25 years of clinical and healthcare administrative experience, will be based at AHS's flagship Highland Hospital in Oakland. He will be responsible for quality and patient safety, the coordination of clinical care and will serve as liaison between physicians and medical staff among many other responsibilities.

"Dr. Peruzzi's track record of success as a physician, an educator and as a physician-executive is unparalleled," said Wright L. Lassiter III, chief executive officer of AHS. "His extensive experience in key strategic areas will serve a crucial role as we continue preparing for expansion and regional implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California."

He comes to AHS from the University of Miami Hospital in Miami, Florida where he was Vice Chief Medical Officer and Executive Medical Director of Critical Care Services. In that role he had operational oversight of all critical care units at the hospital and was responsible for quality and safety initiatives for critical care services and strategic planning for service lines requiring critical care services.

Prior to that he was Professor and Chief of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in the school's Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management and Peri-Operative Medicine. He has also served as Chief Medical Officer of Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas and as a Professor of Anesthesiology, Associate Chair of the Department and Medical Director of Respiratory Care at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"Dr. Peruzzi's experience with a nationally recognized university medical school also benefits our mission as a teaching institution," Lassiter continued. "His experience in academia and medical practice combined with his leadership skills will be a valuable asset to our health system."

Active in professional and community groups, Dr. Peruzzi's board appointments and advisory positions are numerous. A few include:

• Global Advisory Board Member of Masimo, Inc., a publicly held medical technology company
• Executive Committee and Chancellor of the Board of Regents, American College of Critical Care Medicine
• Advisor to the Board of Medical Advisors of Lidco, LTD, a UK-based hemodynamic monitoring company
• Member of the Board of Regents, American College of Critical Care Medicine
• Member of the Board of Medical Advisors of the American Association of Respiratory Care
• Director of the American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists

Dr. Peruzzi holds a Master of Science Degree from the Harvard School of Public Health; an M.D. Degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine; and Master's and Bachelor's Degrees in Biology and Neurology from John Carroll University. His graduate medical education also includes a Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine from the Department of Anesthesiology at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. He was a resident in Anesthesiology at Ohio State University and also served his Internship at Ohio State University.

He is a Fellow of the College of Critical Care Medicine and is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners, The American Board of Anesthesiology and also holds a Special Qualifications Certification in Critical Care Medicine from the American Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Peruzzi is licensed to practice medicine in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Texas.

Note to Editors: A high-resolution color photo of Dr. Peruzzi is available upon request.

About Alameda Health System

Alameda Health System (AHS), a major public health care provider headquartered in Oakland, California, is recognized as a world-class patient and family centered system of care. Its mission – caring, healing, teaching and serving all – sums up the AHS core objectives to promote wellness and eliminate disparities within the diverse communities it serves in Alameda County. As a regional and national leader in health care safety and excellence, AHS aims to optimize the health of all Alameda County residents by multiplying access points to its best-in-class care.

AHS creates positive patient experiences. Service and community engagement are a priority, and the system offers programs that deliver value to individuals across all patient populations regardless of their social or economic status. Quality, financial strength and development of the workforce are also system hallmarks that ensure continual improvement to every aspect of our reach in the community.

A major economic force in Alameda County, AHS employs 3,200 people, including over 500 physicians at seven facilities. These include Highland Hospital, a major regional trauma center and teaching hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, an acute and emergency care facility in San Leandro, California; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facility, also in San Leandro; and four ambulatory wellness centers in Oakland, Newark and Hayward, California.

Jerri Applegate Randrup Alameda Health System (510) 437-4732 Curt Olsen AMF Media Group (925) 790-2620